Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-24
Interviews on the Subject Of the 40
ton Of the Council in REGARD
to the Street Kailroad.
What One Of the Company Has to Say
In Reference to the Steam Motor
and the Result to the
Community.

motive upon their line OF road was yester-
ness men in town.
Ex-Councilman Pinkham said the Council
should have given the company the years
franchise they asked for. He did not think
the motors would be nearly as terrifying
to horses as the wood saving machines
that traversed the city in every direction.
The advantages to be secured by the :on-
we'll worth a years trial. The strapeeness
Of their presence would soon veal Oh and
he did not think, all things considered,
that they would be any more dangerous in
their effect than the cable Or electric sys-
tenn. In the latter case he thought them
even superior, az they would not be affected
by the snow and ice OF winter, which he
was certain would be a sou, &c OF great ex-
pense to the company in keeping the
cable conduits clear and incon-
veniencing the public by stoppage
of travel on that account.
Nor would they be any more liable to scare
animals than the cable or electric cars. In
these cases the machine moving noiselessly
along is just as likely to be a source Of dan
ger in the case OF the ca BILE or electric car as
III tnV ulotOs PAopOoSu w 10 uoCu ~ II
company. He thought that every one who
did business OF lived on Park street
would be in favor Of the adop-
ton of the system proposed by the
company and would undertake to
get a petition in a day that would over
whelminely demonstrate to the Council the
readiness of those most interested in the
real or supposed danger to encounter it.
J. H. McQueeney was very highly in favor
of the motor system. He had never seen
any working. but could imagine no more
danger in having them in the streets of the
city than the steam wood avs,
which didn't seem to be a source Of
danger to animals. He thought it absurd
their use to three months. That was no
fair proposition at all. The company
would have TO invest about $4,000 apiece
for the machines, and it was ridiculous as a
business proposition to ask men to spend
$4,000 for q couple of machines that they
might have, through spite OF n o telling what
opposition. to take out Of use in three
months. Even iu six months they could
not recoup themselves. Aud, as a matter of
fact. horse power would not do on the grades
tine street railroad here would have to run
over. It was absurd to ask the company
to put on horse or mule power. It is slow
and expensive, and il rapidly being super
seeded by other motive power in all large
centers.
John D. Thomas said he could not see
why there should be any objection to the
motors. He had seen dummies used in
Philadelphia which went mp q sleeper
grade than any on Main street For his
part he would like to see the company go
ahead with the motors and take the risk
OF the public undressing them so sub
stantially that the Council would be
compelled to grant the company any
extension ehey might ask for. He also re-
garded the thr; e-months' trial as to utter
~ short. The company proposed to lay
their track out to Burlington and Meader-
vile and to spend IS, 900 on locomotives,
and they ought to have more than three
months to make the trial of whether they
would suit. He could readily see the great
community. The amount of trade and
people it would bring in to Butte from
Rocker. Burlington and Meadervilie, who
could make the trip into town for, say, 20
cents instead of half II dollar could not be
estimated. 1t would be a most deirable
result to obtain, and he was not sure but
the company might safely run the risk OF
the three-months franchise with the GER
tainty that it would be ex.
tended, so great would the resulting
benefit be to the community.
From one of the i~ncor,sorators of the
company, it WA learned last night that
the motor which the company would intro
duce into use on their road ia as absolutely
harmless as the ordinary horse car. The
locomotive is entirely scrceped from sight.
1t is contained in what might pass for an
ordinary street car, and as the company
would use coke in operating it the danger
from sparks would be entirely obYiated
and there would b. no smoke.
In this respect, every man interv ewed-and
the preceding interviews are only a
few Of those held yesterday afternoon
said that there would not be nearly the
danger from the noiseless exhaust lucomo.
tive that there is from the w~ood-sawing
machines which perambulate the town,
and when the directors to the motor say
it will scare horses by the noise proceeding
from it, the incorporation with whom
the reporter conversed could hardly fad
words to express his surprise at people be-
ing SO ignorant of what a "noise'ess ex-
hanst' engine meant. "The words ex.
plain themselves" said be. II cannot un-
derstand how men in the Council
who comprehend machinery should have
expressed themselves SO absurdly as they
are reported to have done. just look at
what we OHer and what they refuse. We
propose to build the line to Burlington and
Meaderville and Centerville. We place on
the line the only kind OF motive power
which can be used to reach those places.
We do not know for certain yet that any
Of the electric s~ystens in use will do here.
We have to make some further inquiries
int the existing systems. and from what l
have seen go far l am not at all satisfied
that the best of them will be successful
here. But ut present, the only alternative
we have to the motor power is a miserable
horse car system which is being relegated
to the background everywhere. With
the engine we can haul two or three
ordinary street-csr loads at once, and
We intend to have three in use. SO that
will furnish at least two trips an
hour between the several termini. OF
the time is so short now hat there |
will just be time to purchase the mules we
intend to use in st. Louis and get them |
here. But If we could get tie Council to |
reconsider the matter, we would get along
with a much smaller outht until the en-
could get here which would he some
lime in November if they wee ordered
light away"